This invention relates to a telescoping, truck tailgate extension which can be utilized in seven different configurations for eight different functions.
Pickup trucks have long been known for their capability of transporting a wide variety of objects. However, there are at least seven problems associated with conventional pickup truck design which the current invention solves. Pickup beds come in a variety of lengths, from just 125 cm (50xe2x80x3) for the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, up to 245 cm (96xe2x80x3) for the Ford F350 Super Duty. Many pickup truck beds are in the 180-200 cm (70xe2x80x3-80xe2x80x3) range which means that loads which exceed the bed length, such as 245 cm (8xe2x80x2) lumber, are typically carried by placing one end on the floor of the truck bed nearest the cab and placing the other end on either the upper edge of the closed tailgate, or on the opened the tailgate. Tailgate heights vary from approximately 40 cm (16xe2x80x3) up to about 50 cm (20xe2x80x3), with the majority being approximately 50 cm (20xe2x80x3). For convenience, the term xe2x80x9ctailgate heightxe2x80x9d will be used to denote both the height of the tailgate in the closed or vertical position, as well as, the added bed length when the tailgate is in the open or horizontal position. When the tailgate is lowered to i ts horizontal position, this typically adds approximately 50 cm (20xe2x80x3) to the bed length, more than enough to accommodate 245 cm (8xe2x80x2) loads in standard beds of 180-200 cm (70xe2x80x3to 80xe2x80x3). Unfortunately, tailgates uniformly have no tie-down points which makes securing the load, in either the closed/upright or open/horizontal position, very difficult. This constitutes a major safety hazard when carrying loads longer then the bed of the truck (Problem #1).
The inability to secure cargo against a closed truck tailgate contributes to scratching and denting the upper edge of the tailgate as cargo slides back and forth or bounces up and down as the truck navigates curves and bumps (Problem #2).
Regardless of the size of the truck bed, there will always be a load longer than the bed (Problem #3). Consider trying to carry a 395 cm (13xe2x80x2) canoe in a standard 200 cm (80xe2x80x3) truck bed: even with the 50 cm (20xe2x80x3) tailgate lowered, 145 cm (56xe2x80x3) of the canoe would still have no support, posing a potential safety hazard. This problem is compounded for the new, shorter beds of the sport utility trucks, and for the crew and king cab designs.
A fourth problem with pickups is their limited capability to safely transport bicycles. Consider a party of 4 going for a day of mountain bikingxe2x80x94these bikes average 175 cm (68xe2x80x3) in length, so 4 of them laying on their sides, partially on top of each other, would take up most of the cargo area in a standard sized pickup bed, no less in a short bed of only 125 cm (50xe2x80x3). Additionally, with no way to secure the bikes, they would be free to rub against each other and against the pickup bed, scratching both the bikes and the bed. To free up bed space and to safely carry the bikes, the truck owner would need to purchase a separate, added-cost bike rack.
A fifth problem with pickup trucks is their limited capability to safely transport skis. The newer sport trucks are designed to transport both people and equipment to a variety of sporting activities, including skiing. Skis range in length from under 120 cm (4 ft.) for children""s skis to over 185 cm (6 ft) for cross country skis. While these lengths can be carried within the bed of most pickups, there is no way to secure the skis, so they would be free to slide about, scratching both the skis and the pickup bed. This would be especially true when the pickup is negotiating twisty mountain roads to get to a ski area. To free up bed space and to safely carry skis, the truck owner would need to purchase a separate, added-cost ski rack.
A sixth problem with pickup trucks is the fact that to carry loads at roof-top height the owner must purchase a separate rack system, frequently called a lumber rack or contractor""s rack, which is usually permanently installed. These racks are expensive and have limited value to the average truck owner who is not hauling construction materials on a regular basis. Some truck owners attempt to carry long loads supported between the top of the closed tailgate and the rear of the truck cab roof. With only a few tie-down points to secure the cargo, this practice is particularly unsafe.
A seventh problem with pickup trucks is their limited capability to safely transport tall items which cannot be laid down in the truck bed, e.g., a refrigerator or bookcase. The truck, as it comes from the factory, has few, if any, tie-down points and has no vertical support for items taller than the bed heightxe2x80x94usually about 40-50 cm (16xe2x80x3-20xe2x80x3).
There are a variety of previous inventions which have sought to solve one or more of the above seven problems with only limited success. There are a number of inventions which are called bed extenders which place some sort of barrier or gate at the end of the lowered tailgate, including Leitner, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,215, Renze, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,926, Rosebrugh, et al., U.S. Pat. 6,340,190, and De Valcourt, U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,593. All of these extend the usable bed space only to the end of a lowered tailgate. This accomplishes little of value over the simple expedient of lowering the tailgate. Further, all of these designs limit the length of materials that can be carried since nothing can extend over the end of the tailgatexe2x80x94longer items would have to be propped up over the edge of the gate which accomplishes little more than resting the items on the edge of the closed tailgate. Further, none of these designs solve the seven problems noted above. Leitner""s, DeValcourt""s and Rosebrugh""s designs could be used to tie down cargo which was propped up on the top of their bed extenders, but none of them claim nor teach this as a benefit of their individual designs.
Stearns, U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,171, Owen, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,801, and Piccariello, U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,995 have all designed tailgate extensions which effectively lengthen the tailgate to nearly twice its height. Thus, when the tailgate is lowered and the extender is extended to its full length, the effective length of the pickup bed is lengthened by nearly twice the height of the tailgate. In practice, this would be approximately 100 cm (40xe2x80x3) longer then the actual bed. Even though these designs allow somewhat longer loads to be carried, none of them solve the seven problems noted above. Likewise, neither Piccariello nor Stearns solve the problem of being able to safely tie down the cargo. By the very nature of their design, Owen, et al., provide a structure which can be used for tying down cargo, however Owen, et al., make no such claim and do not teach this as an advantage of their design.
Both Piccariello and Owen, et al., illustrate their extensions in the vertical position (FIG. 3 in each patent), however neither teaches us much about the function of this position. Piccariello states, xe2x80x9cThe increased height now afforded the tailgate being suitable to now properly accommodate the load, whether it be a situation in which the tailgate is in the down or the up position.xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cAccordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tailgate extender wherein the height of a pick-up truck tailgate can be selectively adjusted.xe2x80x9d (U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,995, Column 2, lines 14-19) Owen, et al., are equally sparse when describing the benefits of having their bed extender extended in the vertical position: xe2x80x9cThis position provides support for materials that exceed the bed height and prevents taller items from tipping out of the back of the vehicle under transportation.xe2x80x9d (U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,801, Column 6, lines 20-22) Neither inventor claims nor teaches the possibility that his bed extender, in the vertical position, could be used to support and secure the rear portion of cargo at roof-top height. And, in fact, Piccariello""s design has no mechanism to hold his tailgate extender firmly in any position, neither extended nor closed, so it would be impossible for his tailgate extender to be used in the extended, vertical position he shows in his FIG. 3xe2x80x94it would simply slide down into the closed position and stay there.
Meinke, U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,392, has designed a tailgate extender which, in practice, accomplishes very little of value. If Meinke""s FIG. 7 is drawn to scale, and if it represents a typical 50 cm (20xe2x80x3) tall tailgate, then his Item 34, a bar, can extend only 22 cm (8xc2xexe2x80x3) above the top edge of the tailgate. This is a severe limitation to his design since an extra 22 cm extension, either vertically or horizontally, provides only a minimum increase in cargo capacity. In a typical 180 cm (70xe2x80x3) long pickup bed, with a 50 cm (20xe2x80x3) tailgate opened, an added 22 cm is only a 10% increase in lengthxe2x80x94see Meinke""s FIG. 3. The additional 22 cm adds virtually nothing to the stability of the lumber which already has its other 90% adequately supported by the pickup bed and tailgate.
Meinke also has little to teach us about another of his proposed functions for his bar: xe2x80x9c. . . as seen in FIG. 5, the extender assembly provides a stop to limit and constrain the movement of cargo positioned on the floor of the cargo body.xe2x80x9d (Column 6, lines 18-20) Unfortunately, Meinke""s FIG. 5 shows his extender assembly as providing a stop for only one side of the piece of plywood on the bed floor. The other five pieces of lumber are not restrained in any way by his extender. In essence, his extender does not perform the function he claims.
Further, Meinke, teaches us very little about the value of extending his bar in the vertical position with the tailgate closed: xe2x80x9cIn this extended position, as seen in FIG. 2, the extender assembly provides additional vertical restraint for cargo within the cargo bed of the vehicle.xe2x80x9d (Column 5, lines 49-51) Unfortunately, an additional 22 cm in height adds little to the vertical stability of tall cargo.
Meinke clearly did not anticipate any design which would allow his bar to be raised further than the 22 cm he shows in FIG. 7. In his Claims 1 and 2, he describes xe2x80x9ca pair of vertical post assemblies . . . each post assembly including a lower post member articulated to an upper post member connected to the bar . . . each post assembly further includes a vertical guide tube mounted in the tailgate; and each lower post is slidably mounted in the respective guide tube.xe2x80x9d (Column 7, lines 25-44). He uses no language which would indicate any alternatives or any other configuration, and, he states: xe2x80x9cThis fully upwardly extended position is also defined by engagement of the stop members 68 on the lower post members with the upper ends of the slots 38b in the respective guide post.xe2x80x9d This clearly indicates that Meinke never intended for his bar to be extended any further than the approximately 22 cm he shows in his FIG. 7. In addition, it would be impossible to add additional extension members into his design because of the manner in which his Item 40 lower post member interacts with his Item 42 upper post member, and the manner in which both of these items interact with his Item 52 catch dog. Since Meinke did not conceive of his bar being raised higher than 22 cm, it is no wonder that he makes no claim and does not teach the desirability of using this position to support the rear portion of long cargo when the front portion is supported at roof-top height. Likewise, Meinke makes no claim and does not teach the desirability of using his bar as a tie-down point for securing cargo. Thus, Meinke has patented a complex and expensive design which is virtually useless according to his own description of the operation of his invention. By way of contrast, the current invention, because of its simplicity, would be very economical to produce, and it accomplishes eight different and important functions.
Both Darby, U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,890 and Lane, et. al., U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/096,013, dated Mar. 11, 2002, show a combination roof rack extender and bed extender. The current invention can perform both of these functions, but since the load-carrying member is supported by two arms, it is inherently stronger and more stable than either Darby""s or Lane, et al.""s, designs, which both have only one support arm. Further, the current invention is designed to be either incorporated into the manufacture of the tailgate, or to be a permanently attached as an after market option. Thus, the current invention would be readily available to assist in carrying long and/or bulky loads, whereas both Darby""s and Lane, et al.""s, racks must be attached to the vehicle each time they are to be used. This gives the current invention a major advantage in convenience over the other two designs. While the current invention can be used to provide support to tall objects which are carried on the bed of a truck with a tailgate, neither Darby""s nor Lane, et al.""s, rack can perform this function. Further, Lane, et al., claim that their rack can also be used as a bike rack and can serve as an attachment point for an accessory ski rack, very similar to the claims for the current invention, but Lane, et al., would have to attach their xe2x80x9cL-shaped memberxe2x80x9d to the truck""s receiver hitch before they could attach either the bike or ski rack. Since the current invention is designed to be a permanent part of the truck, it would always be available, without further time or effort, to have the bike or ski rack easily attached.
It is clear that the current invention would be considered unobvious by a person having ordinary skill in the art of tailgate extender design because:
1. The combination of the uncomplicated design and the multiple functions of the current invention is neither anticipated, nor suggested nor implied in any prior art or combination of prior art.
2. The novelty of the current design produces the new and unexpected result of solving seven real needs, including six important safety problems.
3. The current invention provides a synergism: certainly the multiple functions and practical results of this simple design are much greater than would be expected from the sum of its uncomplicated parts.
4. It solves the long felt, but unsolved need for a means to safely transport objects in a truck with a tailgate when the object extends considerably above or behind the truck bed. Other inventors have attempted to solve this need with only very limited success.
5. It solves the problem of safely transporting bikes and skis while freeing up space in the truck bed. This problem, no less the solution, has not previously been appreciated by other inventors.
The current invention is directed at solving all seven of the limitations of pickup trucks: 1) no tie-down points on the tailgate which constitutes a major safety hazard when transporting loads longer than the bed of the truck, 2) no protection for the upper edge of the tailgate from scratches and dents, 3) limited capability to safely transport loads considerably longer than the truck bed, 4) limited capability to safely transport bicycles, 5) limited capability to safely transport skis, 6) no capability to carry items at roof-top height without buying a separate rack system, and 7) limited capability to safely transport items considerably taller than the bed height.
It is envisioned that the current invention could be attached to a truck in one of three ways:
1. As shown in FIG. 2, the current invention could be incorporated into the design and manufacture of the tailgate. The lowest segments of the telescoping assemblies could be placed at the outer edges of the tailgate, as shown, or they could be contained wholly within the structure of the tailgate.
2. FIG. 3 shows an alternate attachment means in which the lower portion of the lowest segments of the telescoping assemblies are pivotably attached to the body of the truck. The telescoping assemblies are stabilized in either the vertical or horizontal position by means of spring loaded buttons, or by nuts and bolts, or by other suitable means. The advantage to this embodiment is that the tailgate extender can remain in the vertical, extended position (as it would to support cargo at roof-top height) while allowing the tailgate to be opened for access to the truck bed.
3. FIG. 4 shows an attachment means suitable for an after market rack. In this embodiment, the lowest segments of each of the telescoping assemblies are attached by clamps and screws (not shown), or other suitable means, to the inner face of the tailgate. To allow for tailgates of various widths, the load-carrying member is constructed of several segments which slide together and can be firmly affixed to each other at any desired length.
The subject of the current invention is an eight-functions-in-one tailgate extender. It consists of a load-carrying member positioned parallel to and proximate the upper edge of a truck tailgate with one or more telescoping assemblies connecting the load-carrying member to either the tailgate or to the truck body. Depending on the degree of extension of the telescoping assemblies, the load-carrying member may be resting on or near the top of the tailgate, or it may be extended at various lengths up to the full extension of the telescoping assemblies, which, for practical purposes, would be approximately 100 cm (40xe2x80x3) beyond the top of the tailgate. A locking mechanism between the individual elements of the telescoping assemblies allows the load-carrying member to be affixed at varying distances away from the top of the tailgate. Further, the load-carrying member has a plurality of holes, or other suitable means, along its length to serve as tie-down points for various width loads. The load-carrying member can also be fitted with one or more horizontal, elongate members which serve as a bicycle rack. The load-carrying member can also serve as an attachment point for a ski rack or other specialized racks, e.g., a kayak saddle. Since pickup trucks do not have other suitable attachment points for racks (unless the owner purchases a receiver trailer hitch), this is an important improvement over prior art.
When the tailgate extender is in the vertical position, the load-carrying member can function in six separate ways. It can:
1. Serve as a tie-down point to safely transport cargo which extends over the edge of the tailgate, e.g., lumber which is longer than the truck""s bed. This use would typically occur with the load-carrying member in its lowest position proximate the top of the tailgate, and with loads only about 30-90 cm (1xe2x80x2-3xe2x80x2) longer than the truck bed.
2. Protect the upper edge of the tailgate from scratches and dents.
3. Serve as the attachment point for two horizontal, elongate members which can be used as a bike rack. The height of the load-carrying member can be adjusted to allow the bicycles to be carried safely, while freeing up bed space for other cargo.
4. Serve as the attachment point for a dedicated bicycle rack, a ski rack, or other specialized rack, e.g., a kayak saddle. This greatly increases safety when transporting these items, while freeing up bed space for other cargo.
5. Be extended to a height approximately equal to a roof rack or a xe2x80x9cheadache rackxe2x80x9d (a rack which is positioned proximate to the front end of the truck bed and extending slightly above the height of the cab). In this position, long loads, e.g., a canoe, can safely be carried between the load-carrying member at the rear of the truck and either a roof rack or a headache rack. Likewise, loads which are too wide to lay flat on the floor of the truck bed, e.g., sheet goods like plywood, can be safely carried between the load-carrying member at the rear of the truck and either a roof rack or a headache rack.
6. Serve as a vertical support and tie-down point for tall cargo which cannot safely be laid down in the truck bed, e.g., a refrigerator or bookcase. With the telescoping assemblies fully extended, the load-carrying member would be approximately 150 cm (5xe2x80x2) above the bed surface. This provides a major improvement in safety when transporting tall objects.
When both the tailgate and the tailgate extender are in the lowered or horizontal position, the load-carrying member can be used in two ways. It can:
1. Serve as a tie-down point for cargo which extends over the edge of the lowered tailgate, e.g., lumber which is somewhat longer than both the truck""s bed and the tailgate. This greatly improves safety when transporting such loads.
2. Be extended to varying lengths up to its full extension to safely support loads which are considerably longer than the combined length of both the truck bed and the lowered tailgate. In practice, if the truck bed were 180 cm (70xe2x80x3) long and the tailgate were 50 cm (20xe2x80x3) long, the tailgate extender could be extended an additional 100 cm (40xe2x80x3), for a total of 330 cm, or nearly 11 feet. Since the load could extend beyond the end of the tailgate extender, lumber or other loads of 4.25 m to 4.6 m (14xe2x80x2to 15xe2x80x2) could safely be carried in this manner. Of course, in this position, the tailgate extender could serve not only to support the load, but also as a tie-down point.
Thus, the tailgate extender of the current invention can serve the above eight distinct functions.
The general object of the current invention is to provide a new, multi-purpose truck tailgate extender which greatly improves safety when transporting long or bulky cargo.
A specific object of the invention is to provide a tailgate extender which can be extended in multiple increments beyond the top edge of a tailgate.
Another specific object of the invention is to provide a tailgate extender which has multiple tie-down points for securing loads which rest on it.
Another specific object of the invention is to provide a tailgate extender which protects the upper edge of the tailgate from scratches and dents.
Another specific object of the invention is to provide a tailgate extender which can be used to safely transport loads considerably longer than the truck""s bed.
Another specific object of the invention is to provide a tailgate extender which can be used to safely transport bicycles while freeing up bed space for other cargo.
Another specific object of the invention is to provide a tailgate extender which can serve as an attachment point for specialized racks, e.g., a ski rack or kayak saddle, while freeing up bed space for other cargo.
Yet, another specific object of the invention is to provide a tailgate extender which can be used to safely support the rear portion of cargo carried at roof-top height.
Yet, another specific object of the invention is to provide a tailgate extender which can be used to safely support and secure tall cargo in a truck bed.
Yet, another specific object of the invention is to provide a tailgate extender which can be attached to either a truck body or a truck tailgate.
Yet, another specific object of the invention is to provide a tailgate extender which will be applicable to both an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and to an after market manufacturer.
Further objects and advantages of the current invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing descriptions.